As an Air Force kid on F4 wild weasels in the late 70’s early 80’s then after college as a Naval scientist of of my greatest regrets wasn’t taking more time every time I had the pleasure of meeting a WWII Veteran. My neighbor was a Marine on Guadalcanal bronze star winner and I sat with him for hours. I never could get him to talk. But it was a pleasure just to sit and have a beer with him. RIP JD Mills
Juan, my Dad was an electricians mate on the Hornet when the Doolittle Raiders took off to attack Japan . He eventually had to abandon ship in the Coral Sea in the battle of the Santa Cruz Islands . He saw a lot combat action in the Pacific . He made it to a ripe old age of 99 and died 7 months just before turning 100.
Douglas Knutsen ; I salute your father, may he RIP. I had an uncle who served aboard the U.S.S WASP. He survived the torpedoing of the ship but, until his death in 1977, he was a haunted man.
@@EXOWill👍 From what I've heard and read, the P- 47 was a tank. They could withstand alot of damage and keep on flying. I Pray your father is still alive and well. May God Bless him and every WW2 participant.
Thank you for sharing your dad's experiences on the Hornet ! No 7000ft. runway that morning ! We tend to take for granted that these were nearly all just boys, that had to grow up fast, and perform like the men that they became in most cases over night ! Thank you for your dad's service ! 🇺🇸
I had the distinct honor of shaking Jimmy Doolittle's hand and getting his autograph back in the 1970's at Oshkosh. He spoke one evening in the outdoor pavilion and after the talk was just mingling with the crowd. If I recall he was in his 80's at the time and had flown his own aircraft to the EAA flyin. What an honor. That said, sadly I can not find that autograph today. My dad had 52 missions in WWII between B-24's in Bengazi and B-17's in England. I was able to get him a ride in a B-17 (Aluminum Overcast) on one of its tours of the east coast. He cried when I told him his ride had been booked. He was a flight engineer and top turret gunner. He passed back in 2016 at age 95 and I still miss wrenching and flying with him in our little Piper Colt.
That's the "Magic" of Oshkosh. You never know WHO you're going to meet: Harrison Ford, Steve Whitman, Dale Robertson, Bob Hoover, Chuck Yeager, the list is endless.
Had the honor of meeting Lt Col Dick Cole, Jimmy Doolittle's co-pilot and the last survivor of Doolittle's Raiders just a couple years ago at CAF CENTEX in San Marcos Texas. He was amazingly sharp at 102 years old. True American Hero. 🇺🇲
Cole was posthumously promoted to Full Bird Col. Why the heck didn't they do that while he was still with us? Doolittle got instantly promoted and had a stellar career, but said after he was on the ground in China that he expected to be court marshalled.
All of the raiders are now gone. RIP. There will continue to be a steady of stream of "last man from ...... battle" stories. Sadly, we have nearly lost the Greatest Generation.
Nathan Greer ; Sir, you are so right. We, my family and I, lost the greatest WW 2 Veteran on 19 November 2021, our 98 year old father. Two years prior, we lost my 98 year old father-in-law who saw action in the CBI Theater. Yes Sir, they were tried in the fire before the war ever started. I believe that's how they survived so long.
My cousin Robert Gray piloted number three off the Carrier..survived after bailout,except lost his tail gunner. Was shot down and killed over Burma later in the War.
Juan you seem to be everywhere I was lucky enough to get to fly a B25 back in 1964 what I remember most was how loud it was ,the free swiveling nose wheel and ultra sensitive brakes Not to mention the high VMC But it was solid and fast
I remember when my dad and I flew in Sentimental Journey (B17) back in 2010. It was amazing as Dad was a Bomber pilot out of Chelveston England during WWII. It was my first ride in a B17 and Dad's 34th counting his missions. Juan thank you, as I just relived that flight in a way with dad whom passed away 2013. Your smile was mine in that amazing bird! The greatest generation!
I can't relate to the raid but I can tell you what my cousin who was a flight engineer on a B25 in the pacific said. I remember asking what was the most memorable thing about his 78 missions and he said the number one thing was the noise. I can still see him shaking his head and saying the noise. He contacted malaria and that took him out of the fight and took a terrible tole on his health. After the war the he spent years as the parts dept.manager at Bud Wiser Chevy Cadillac in Beloit Wi. Just a great report Juan. Thanks for taking the time to remember these gallant men and there commitment to freedom.
Hello there Juan,just to let you know, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this video. I fell in love with the B-25 Mitchell Bomber when I was in the second grade right before the Summer break. Everyone was in the auditorium and and watched the movie, "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo". I can't imagine a Elementary school showing a film such as this. Another great video was, "Forever Young". Yes Sir, after all these years, the old love affair is still alive and, I'm 77 years old. Thanks for sharing this video and, making my day. Stan
Thank You Juan for remembering those who flew the mission. My brother-in-law was an Air Force transport pilot in the 1950s. The B-25 was his multi engine trainer. He remembers the noise and when it rained they got wet, because the windshield leaked.
My great uncle was a pilot of a B-25 in WWII. I believe that he was stationed in Papua New Guinea. From what they say, he was tough as nails. Thank-you for posting this tribute to those of "The Greatest Generation."
🇺🇸 Thanks for your comment Valerie ! You are absolutely right ! They grew up fast, we're just boys when they left, and for those who came home, came home men, war hardened men, you better believe, tough as nails ! They had to be ! 🇺🇸
I was very fortunate to fly in a formation of 12 B25s at the 60th Anniversary in Columbia, SC. I still consider it in the top 5 greatest experiences of my life so far! The glide path was over my house the day before when they flew in formation at 1200ft overhead! What a hair-raising sound they made. It was like time travel...
Juan, Thanks SO much for the up close and personal look at the B-25. Gave me a much better appreciation for the effort and sacrifice of the airmen who fly these amazing warbirds. And the Doolittle Raiders deserve an extra acknowledgement, an unbelievable act of bravery.
7000 feet of runway here: Raiders had 440' going off the deck of the Hornet 80 years ago. Of course, they had 25 knots of carrier speed heading into a 45 knot headwind so that helped a lot. The last of the 18 planes (going from memory here)forgot to set flaps properly and just barely made it. The folks on the Island ("control tower" of the ship) saw it drop off the bow and thought it had been lost. But the guy kept peddling and got it up and to the target. Amazingly every aircraft dropped on its target though only one aircraft survived the raid.. it landed in Vladivostok where, the crew was interred for nearly two years before escaping. Heros all. The last of the raid survivors died within the last five years or so. I read "Thirty Seconds over Tokyo" in the early 60's, have been fascinated by it every since.
@@Rwalt61 IIRC it was the motivation for the Japanese attack on the Aleutians. The Japanese could not believe the Doolittle raid launched from carriers.
The last survivor died April 9, 2019, 103 year old Col. Richard E. Cole. His Goblet ceremony was held just today at Hurlburt AFB here in Florida. A B25 and many other planes flew over in his honor.
A beautiful memorial Juan, even tearing inducing to a Brit. For it was 18th April 1942, that the United Kingdom for the first time in 3 years got a sense that we might be saved, let alone beat back the Wehrmacht, with the formation of the allied forces. God Bless America and all our cousins that served in WWII. We are tough, but we wouldn't have survived without you.
@@av8rshane491 I love it when we are brought together over such things. If only there wasn't such a mess of water between us, I might take a crack at the U.S myself. Not sure about all the bullet dodging though. I think I'd need a bit of Juan Browne country, out in the sticks 😂
@@stevenmacdonald9619 , I live out in the sticks as well, got tired of the big City life. Would love to make it over to the UK and see the war bird museums someday.
@@ajg617 come to Hamilton Ontario and donate a nice fat check to the Canadian Warplane Heritage. They fly one of the two flying Lancaster's in the world, The Andrew Mynarski VC Lancaster.. They take up big donors a few times a year for a little jaunt over to Niagara Falls
I saw a B-17, a B-24, and a B-25 in St. Paul, MN in August 2007. That B-25 sure was loud. My high school choir director piloted a B-25 in the Pacific Theater during WWII. In his later days he opened up about some of his flying experiences such as numerous forced landings due to icing, bugs in the carburetors, etc. He brought his crew home safely every time. He died in 2006. Lt. Garland O. Lockrem- I salute you and your crew.
Thanks Juan. My father was a RAF photographer and flew in photo recon Mitchell's in the Far East (S.E.Asia) during WW2. No defensive armament, long range tanks in the bomb bay. Noisy, uncomfortable, dangerous, hours on end. They were a different breed back then!
Love the B-25. My grandfather flew a bit over 30 missions in them before he was able to rotate home to his wife and little son (my dad), and then he spent the remainder of the war as a B-25 instructor.
My Dad graduated from Aviation Cadet class 43-I, and got the B-25G (75mm cannon) as a copilot. He was stationed in St. Lucia, and said the experience of firing that was pretty impressive. He soon got picked for B-17 school and after graduating ferried a new B-17G to Bassingbourn. He went on to fly 17 combat missions as Aircraft Commander, and was the youngest man on his crew! He was an amazing man, because of all he went through, and by coincidence (or divine intervention?) I was assigned to the F-4G in 1988, and flew 16 missions over Iraq in Desert Storm. We flew many times in gliders and small GA planes, but he passed in 1999. I still have a goal to get airborne in one or both of the bombers he flew before I’m too old! Thanks for the incredible reporting you do, Juan.
Awesome thanks for uploading this Juan! I had the pleasure of meeting Lt Col Dick Cole at Oshkosh a few years back- Simply the kindest most honorable man imaginable. A true American Icon and Hero. On this the 80th Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, I salute all the Doolittle Raiders for their heroic service to our country. Lest we never forget!
Thanks Juan for the wonderful tribute. My father was a wtfc aboard the USS Gwin, DD 433. It, along with 6 other boats, escorted Hornet‘s (Task Force 18) to within 600 miles of Japan. The Force left out of San Diego on 3April to arrive there on the 18April.
Awesome coverage! My Grandpa C.W Hoover was based in Attu part of the Aleutian Islands combat as a waist gunner/ radio opr. They were the first crews to operate the USAAF B-25b fleet type . Gramps was on the aircraft named "Fickle Finger of Fate" which coincidently was part of the 16 famed Doolittle raid B-25s however he only flew missions over Sitka ,Adak and Amchitka Alaska. After one of their very first missions when landing back at Attu they crashed as soon as the wheels touched the makeshift metal grate runways. The aircraft hit the seam in between the grates and because wet/muddy conditions the weight of the aircraft sunk the first part of runway causing the Fickle Finger to knock off its gear and bent those big beautiful props on the Wright R-2600- engines. Thankfully every crewman made it out unhurt but muddy and the aircraft was fixed on base and went on to make history with Doolittle . My Gramps went on to rank Staff sergeant and trained fresh meat for both B-25 and B-24s he passed away in 2005 and I wished I had asked him more about his service. He was the best Grandfather every! I am a better person to have known him and was lucky to grow up around the corner from my Grandparents'. Our Country owes his generation a great deal of gratitude and our freedoms came at a huge cost and I will never forget that or take for granted I miss him everyday but am very proud to be related to The Greatest Generation that walked our planet.
I've been in war birds many times. Flown some of them. Each time I do so, I am amazed at what those young men dealt with. I put myself in there shoes..(boots) and I can't imagine what those crews must have went through. It almost, and sometimes did, brings a tear to your eyes. God bless those men and their bravery. Thanks, Juan.
My dad piloted one of these in the South Pacific during the war. Thanks for letting us see what it was like for the crew. I could never imagine what it must have been like for him. Loved the video!
My Grandmother's brother flew in the Doolittle raid and survived, apparently ditching in China. What we do not know is how he died while on a later mission "disappearing into a cloud". My sister found his name on a random war monument back in the 90s while in the Philipines on a teen missions trip. I love the B-25. Overshadowed, but beautiful. Thanks for the great video!
Just too cool Juan! Thank you for sharing this experience with us. The excitement on your face is palpable! Truly my fav plane. I had the good fortune of getting to crawl through the 'Heavenly Body' (also a J) into the bombardier's bay back in the 90's.....and it was just sitting on display! I believe Mike Pupich was the owner at that time. No one could wipe the grin off my face. What amazing planes these are especially considering the role of the crews back in the day as you had mentioned. Not much room for error! Once again, thank you so much for commemorating this amazing plane, the crews and the famous Doolittle mission.
Slice of Living History won’t be around forever glad you got the chance. One of my families’ friends was a B-25 pilot later one of the first pilots for PSA flying "Douglas White Tails" a Gordon Tinker. He had stories of hardship in those old machines.
To say thank you for this, doesnt seem enuf, does not covey my feelings. . I was just past 6 when this happened and tho I didnt understand at the time, I remember the excitement when the news was released. Today a retired Air Force friend and I drank a toast to them. 80 heroes every one. The Hornet was just over 825 feet in length so the first few planes only had some 400 ft of runway. Even full speed into a good headwind, it was a daunting task to get off the deck. Did I say heroes? They were indeed And it I may Id like to call your attention to the fact that exactly ne year later on April 18th, 1943 we took down Yamamoto, a major Japanese tactician.
Awesome tribute! I have watched the full video of this flight. Really amazing all those positions in the B-25. Very loud. God Bless all those heroes!🇺🇸
Well done Juan! Makes you realize that it was a rugged chore and certainly dangerous flying those birds. Doolittle was already in his 40’s during the raid. They were hard men.
I was just at the Air Force museum in Dayton and the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy museum outside of DC last week. My reaction to the Mercury capsules was reinforced - how small and relatively primitive they were. "Rinky dink" is the succinct term that comes to mind compared with later space systems. The crews in the B-25 in 1940 and 41 of course had no idea what later aircraft would be like just as the Mercury astronauts couldn't know what the later capsules and even the Space Shuttle would turn out to be. But the folks on the Doolittle Raid and so many other missions got in their aircraft and took off with all the rattles and cold, the lack of armor and cramped quarters and did what they needed to do, which seems amazing today.
I rode a B-17 years ago and I imagined how terrifying it must have been at altitude and under attack. There's nowhere to hide! On that flight, we overflew the Liberty ship John Brown cruising the Chesapeake Bay! I sailed on her too before my flight, so that was extra special. Great video! God Bless all who serve!
I’m lucky enough to live in the Fresno area where these would fly over for the reenactment. I can remember too, we had an air show with 15-20 of them. When they powered up and took off it brought tears to your eyes.
Thanks Juan. As the son of an RAF bomber command Lancaster pilot this touches a nerve. The thought of those aircraft going off the carrier......wow, no ejector seats if it went wrong.
So glad I got to know of Juan and his adventures in the air and on two wheels through the years. Very inspiring, knowledgeable, and all around great person... thanks for sharing it with us!
Thank you for sharing, Juan, though it wasn't loud enough. I love to hear those Wrights. My dad was a 25 radio mechanic stationed on Okinawa. I hope to go up in a 25 sometime soon. Thanks again!
I took a mess of pictures of that bird in Van Nuys CA back in the early 80's. She was for sale for $125k at the time if my memory serve me well, guns and all!
Was fortunate to have gone to the 75th anniversary, and see Dick Cole speak. There are no superlatives large enough to encapsulate the heroism these men possessed.
The Doolittle Raiders: What courage! Can you imagine what it took to do what they did? The flying was difficult enough; doing things with B-25s that had never been imagined let alone done. Low level bombing over Japan. Knowing your odds for survival was 50/50 at best... and still doing it. Brings me to tears thinking about it.
All the aircrews who flew the B-25's, B-17's and B-24's deserve our thanks and respect for what they accomplished. I was stunned when I stopped and toured the B-17 that is parked alongside Highway 99 one day. The skin of the airplane was barely thicker than the skin on an aluminum beer can. It took true courage to flew that airplane at 20,000 ft over Germany with AA coming up at you during WW2.
I think of the Dolittle raid every time i see one of those Ukraine soldiers fire an anti-tank missile from less than 500’ range. Like Dolittle they’re truly taking the fight to the enemy - up close and personal, no stand off. Brave? Nuts? Maybe both.
@@mikedx2706 You really get a sense of what it must have been like for the aircrews. There is no place to hide or take cover. One place is as good as the next. Brave men that would get in there and fly every mission asked of them.
Juan, thank you for remembering and sharing this amazing and beautiful Mitchell bomber!! I was lucky enough to ride in one at the Planes of Fame many years ago!
Very cool Juan thanks for sharing! I have flown in B17 Aluminum Overcast and B29 Doc both in many positions including the B29 tail gunner. Incredible experience for sure! A must do to appreciate.
This was really fun to watch! Juan had the look of a 12 year old boy in his eyes in a lot of those shots. Made me reflect on my ride in the B-17! Thanks for sharing. 😎👍
Thank you Juan, I mean...what did these men were made of huh? Noise, fear, courage, more noise, hunger, sleepness, eagerness and honor all a the same time? Incredible. Our thoughts go to these men. "Never did so many owe to so few". Cheers and thank you.
Thank you, Juan for doing this and paying tribute to the brave men who flew these into combat. It completely fills me with joy to see this iconic bird still flying. Thanks again!
Juan, you looked like a kid in a candy store crawling around the plane-pure enjoyment. Thanks for sharing this flight and keeping your channel so informative.
At last a pilot doing the photography on a warbird and not a fancy videographer! All the aspects of what is of interest to a pilot were covered. The takeoff run was truly nail-biting and I can only think what could go through the minds WW2 pilots when taking off from the (short) deck of a ship, fully loaded! Almost no hope if the slightest went wrong on takeoff. That's an unbeatable feat!!! These courageous pilots need to be saluted and remembered. The fact is that they all knew that they would probably not make it back to the ship or any safe landing site. That's courage!!! We need to remember them!!!
Dad was a tail gunner on a model J in the Pacific. He said "you sorta had to squat on that little seat" which was "smaller than a stool but larger than a bicycle seat." He flew 12 missions all in the summer of 1945. They were 8-9 hour over ocean flights to attack Japanese merchantmen. Half the bomb bay was a fuel tank and they carried underwing drop tanks outboard of the engines to make the range. Intel (codebreakers) told them where and when the enemy ships would be. Only once was the intel wrong. They skip-bombed the merchantmen dropping one 500 lb. bomb in each of four passes over the target just above mast height. The pilot dropped the bombs not the bombardier/navigator. They were dangerous low-level missions. In one they lost half their airplanes. In another they lost a third. In another one quarter. They were 8-12 plane raids. Enemy AA was fierce but the only hole they ever found in their B-25 was an arm length away from dad out on the horizontal stabilizer. It was from a 20 mm shell which had come up from underneath. None of the Oscars that shot at them hit the plane. Their B-25 had been modified to carry radar navigation. On each mission a single B-24 navigation ship flew high above them so they wouldn't get lost in the foul weather of the North Pacific. They were based on Attu in the Aleutian Islands and flew down bomb targets at Paramushiro--the northernmost island in the Kurile chain just south of the Kamchatka peninsula. If the fight drifted over Soviet territory the Russian AA crews opened up on friend and foe alike. One of their damaged B-25s landed safely on Kamchatka. Plane and aircrew were interred by the Soviets. For most of the flight he sat with the waist gunner/radio operator just aft of the bomb bay. He moved to the tail position only when they were in the combat zone--about a hundred miles out or whenever ordered by the pilot. Dad was credited with two kills of Nakajima Ki-43 Oscars. There may have been others which couldn't be confirmed. He was awarded a Bronze Star which he felt he didn't deserve for just two kills. "They gave out medals like candy," he said, lol. The twin 50s in the tail position were hydraulically powered. He flipped a switch to turn on the pump. He aimed through an optical site which seems to be missing from Executive Sweet. He said oil leaked from both engine nacelles in a long thin continuous stream which sometimes alarmed them so much they'd get on the intercom with the flight engineer/top turret gunner. He'd tap his dials and say "nah it looks all right don't worry about it." Dad said the missions were long, noisy and cold. Hours of boredom followed by a few moments of terror then hours of boredom flying home but happy to be alive. They were all in their early 20s. Since the International Date Line is just west of Attu they always took off today, bombed tomorrow and returned today. Just a little joke they liked to say. Thanks for showing me the view dad had from the backseat!
How stinking cool. I got a tear thinking of the planes that didn't make it. And then laughed watching that ear to ear grin on your face. Absolutely amazing 👏 😍 Thanks for sharing 💕
Fantastic, Juan - what a hell of a ride! I looked like you leaving the plane when I had the opportunity to have a ride in the backseat of a P-51D. I‘ll never forget that! Pure adrenaline! Carry on! Love your work!
I had the honor of flying with my wife’s grandfather in a B-17. I wish everyone could have the (peace time) experience of flight in a WWII era airplane. They were heros. Sadly we just lost him. His funeral was to the day 77 years after his bailout over Germany. I also posted up my flight with him. I’ll never forget it, or him.
Thanks Juan, that was awesome! most amazing to me is the extreme input the pilot gives the flight controls and how much delay there is in the in response. flying the B-25 must be like trying to turn an ocean liner.
hello I have the honor too speak with General Doolittle one afternoon in Perry Houston, Warner Robins Georgia, the sad thing was I didn’t know It was Mr Doolittle . After he departed a line operator informed who he was. He was a very elegant man. thanks for the memories. saludos
The My Dad was USN in the 1950 into the 1960’s. The Navy version of the B25, the PBJ-1H flew for many years after the war as a mail plane, light cargo carrier, and VIP transport. In the Navy version an extra fuel tank could be fitted in the bomb bay for extra range.
Had the same excitement when I fulfilled my dream of flying in a B-17 (909). Only a few months later and 909 was lost forever. I'll never forget that experience, nor will I forsake the memories of the men who flew in those machines.
I had been around a few war birds when I was young. One day I was home from work early in anticipation of an event at Northrop Field. Suddenly, there was that sound. You know it from a distance when you hear it. That sound of radials that meant business. Except this time, the sound grew louder and louder and louder than ever before. I almost choked up at the sight of an endless string of B25s at low altitude buzzing the house on the way into the pattern at the airfield. There are streets named for Doolittle and his airmen in the neighborhood as those planes were built here. It dawned on me that this was the sound of their war. It is one thing to have one or maybe two of these flying near you, but when it becomes an endless stream of one after another and another and another, the hair on your arms stands up. The whole place shook with the sound and to this day I can close my eyes and feel the energy of that moment. There were only 16 planes that went out on that raid, with 80 men. May their memory be eternal.
Thanks for sharing that, Dino! Somehow, the B-25 sounds like no other radial engine-powered airplane. During a low fly-by it just has this angry, growling quality to it. Very beastly!
I can't even imagine what that sounds like, Dino! The Mitchell has flown over my house several times over the years when the Wings of Freedom tour hits KORH in Worcester. There was one time when I got to experience watching the B-17 fly past flanked by a P-51 and the B-25 Mitchell in a triangle formation. Just the sound from that was AMAZING! I got a little choked up watching them fly by!
My dad said on days their B-17 squadron stood down, the air would be humming and vibrating with the sound of hundreds of B-17s and B-24s from their base and others nearby. He said he could feel it in his bones.
I can't thank you enough for producing these videos. I always learn something in your more serious videos, and fun ones like these always put a smile on my face.
Juan. You get to have all the fun. Great tribute to Lt Colo. Doolittle and the 79 other brave airmen that took off from a 440' heaving "runway", taking the fight to the Japanese mainland. And the look on the red air forces officers faces when that lone B-25 radioed in for landing clearance at Vladivostok after the raid. Priceless. Thanks for taking us along for the ride.
Missed this on its original broadcast. Great to see GOO-TRK-GOO, a beautiful trip I've done in my 28-236, but truly incredible looking out from those gunner's positions in the B-25. Thanks for sharing it again!
Thank you Capt.Browne, there's a B-25, B-24, and P-51 that comes to Hyannis Mass. airport every couple of years. good stuff. Now if only the Blue Angels back. No fun in Mass.
The last Doolittle Raider to pass on, Lt. Col. Richard 'Dick' Cole, was one of the oldest crewmembers at the time at the age of 26 and was Doolittle's Copilot. Doolittle chose him specifically. I had the honor of meeting and visiting him at his home in Comfort, Texas many years ago. He was a very humble and sincere gentleman. He was 103 when he passed 3 years ago. What they accomplished was incredible. While it wasn't an overwhelming impact from a damage standpoint, it very clearly demonstrated the ability of the U.S. to strike Japan, something the Japanese did not think was possible at the time.
Juan, seeing the opening photos says enough. Just pure unadulterated joy. I'm 46 this year and I still look skywards at whatever the sound is going overhead. Never lost the passion for aviation. You nailed it in one photo.
Juan, I was fortunate to hitch a ride on EAA’s B25 Berlin Express from St. Paul, MN back to Oshkosh, WI in July 2019 too. It’s a flight I will remember for the rest of my life. I had many of the same thoughts about past crew members as you did. The views from the tail and nose were amazing. Thanks again for your service!
A few years back, I was skydiving with friends in Deland, Florida. Suddenly we heard a loud aircraft coming in to land. A B-25 landed and the purpose was lunch at the dropzone! 😁👍
Celebrated actor Charlton Heston served as a radioman/gunner on B-25s in the Aleutians when he enlisted for two years in the Army Air Force in 1944. He walked the talk!
Absolutely awesome....Jimmy Doolittle and the bomber crews he led on that raid went where Angel's fear to tread, with no real expectactation of anything but a suicide mission. I read somewhere that Doolittle expected to be court-martialed for the loss of the aircraft that participated in the raid, instead, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. 3 airmen died when thier bomber crashed, 8 others were captured by Japanese forces, 4 of them lived to be freed, one died of disease, and the Japanese executed 3 others. The only bomber to survive intact landed in Vladiovostok, U.S.S.R., and because the Soviet Union and Japan were not actually at war with each other at that time, the bomber and aircrew were interned in the U.S.S.R., purportedly for the duration of the war, but although they confiscated the B-25, the aircrew was allowed to "escape" the Soviet Union within a year and were repatriated. The greatest generation, without question.
Juan, your description of the plane as a “rattle trap” brought to mind one of my father’s recollection of flying in B-17’s over Germany. He said the young airmen felt invincible until about the third or fourth mission, when reality set in…that they were not going to survive. Surprised at the comment I asked him why. He said it was simple math…subtraction! And when we DID head home, he said, the plane shook and literally whistled due to the holes shot through it!!
My dad served in the Air Force as a camera operator on the TB-25 during the Korean War as part of the 452nd Tactical Reconnaissance Group. Your video reminded me of his life and experiences. Thank you.
I was a hospice chaplain for 20 years and listened to stories their families did not know; such an honor! The were extremely brave men!
This is the most moving comment about this video that I have read.
As an Air Force kid on F4 wild weasels in the late 70’s early 80’s then after college as a Naval scientist of of my greatest regrets wasn’t taking more time every time I had the pleasure of meeting a WWII Veteran. My neighbor was a Marine on Guadalcanal bronze star winner and I sat with him for hours. I never could get him to talk. But it was a pleasure just to sit and have a beer with him. RIP JD Mills
Understatement
Juan, my Dad was an electricians mate on the Hornet when the Doolittle Raiders took off to attack Japan . He eventually had to abandon ship in the Coral Sea in the battle of the Santa Cruz Islands . He saw a lot combat action in the Pacific . He made it to a ripe old age of 99 and died 7 months just before turning 100.
Douglas Knutsen ; I salute your father, may he RIP.
I had an uncle who served aboard the U.S.S WASP. He survived the torpedoing of the ship but, until his death in 1977, he was a haunted man.
I thank your father for his service. My father flew P-47's over France and Germany in 1944/45.
@@EXOWill👍 From what I've heard and read, the P- 47 was a tank. They could withstand alot of damage and keep on flying.
I Pray your father is still alive and well. May God Bless him and every WW2 participant.
GodSpeed
Thank you for sharing your dad's experiences on the Hornet !
No 7000ft. runway that morning !
We tend to take for granted that these were nearly all just boys, that had to grow up fast, and perform like the men that they became in most cases over night !
Thank you for your dad's service ! 🇺🇸
I had the distinct honor of shaking Jimmy Doolittle's hand and getting his autograph back in the 1970's at Oshkosh. He spoke one evening in the outdoor pavilion and after the talk was just mingling with the crowd. If I recall he was in his 80's at the time and had flown his own aircraft to the EAA flyin. What an honor. That said, sadly I can not find that autograph today. My dad had 52 missions in WWII between B-24's in Bengazi and B-17's in England. I was able to get him a ride in a B-17 (Aluminum Overcast) on one of its tours of the east coast. He cried when I told him his ride had been booked. He was a flight engineer and top turret gunner. He passed back in 2016 at age 95 and I still miss wrenching and flying with him in our little Piper Colt.
You are very lucky. What you have is priceless. Thanks for sharing!
Being near Doolittle, to me, would be like standing next to God himself. "Legend" does not begin to describe the man!
That's the "Magic" of Oshkosh. You never know WHO you're going to meet: Harrison Ford, Steve Whitman, Dale Robertson, Bob Hoover, Chuck Yeager, the list is endless.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing!
Had the honor of meeting Lt Col Dick Cole, Jimmy Doolittle's co-pilot and the last survivor of Doolittle's Raiders just a couple years ago at CAF CENTEX in San Marcos Texas. He was amazingly sharp at 102 years old. True American Hero. 🇺🇲
Cole was posthumously promoted to Full Bird Col. Why the heck didn't they do that while he was still with us? Doolittle got instantly promoted and had a stellar career, but said after he was on the ground in China that he expected to be court marshalled.
All of the raiders are now gone. RIP. There will continue to be a steady of stream of "last man from ...... battle" stories. Sadly, we have nearly lost the Greatest Generation.
Nathan Greer ; Sir, you are so right. We, my family and I, lost the greatest WW 2 Veteran on 19 November 2021, our 98 year old father. Two years prior, we lost my 98 year old father-in-law who saw action in the CBI Theater.
Yes Sir, they were tried in the fire before the war ever started. I believe that's how they survived so long.
My cousin Robert Gray piloted number three off the Carrier..survived after bailout,except lost his tail gunner. Was shot down and killed over Burma later in the War.
Juan you seem to be everywhere I was lucky enough to get to fly a B25 back in 1964 what I remember most was how loud it was ,the free swiveling nose wheel and ultra sensitive brakes Not to mention the high VMC But it was solid and fast
I remember when my dad and I flew in Sentimental Journey (B17) back in 2010. It was amazing as Dad was a Bomber pilot out of Chelveston England during WWII. It was my first ride in a B17 and Dad's 34th counting his missions. Juan thank you, as I just relived that flight in a way with dad whom passed away 2013. Your smile was mine in that amazing bird!
The greatest generation!
I had an uncle that was a navigator at Chelveston. Small world.
@@Airpaycheck ❤️💜💗💖💕
I can't relate to the raid but I can tell you what my cousin who was a flight engineer on a B25 in the pacific said. I remember asking what was the most memorable thing about his 78 missions and he said the number one thing was the noise. I can still see him shaking his head and saying the noise. He contacted malaria and that took him out of the fight and took a terrible tole on his health. After the war the he spent years as the parts dept.manager at Bud Wiser Chevy Cadillac in Beloit Wi.
Just a great report Juan. Thanks for taking the time to remember these gallant men and there commitment to freedom.
Your comment touches on something rarely mentioned.....the horrendous noise of war.
Hello there Juan,just to let you know, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this video. I fell in love with the B-25 Mitchell Bomber when I was in the second grade right before the Summer break. Everyone was in the auditorium and and watched the movie, "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo". I can't imagine a Elementary school showing a film such as this. Another great video was, "Forever Young".
Yes Sir, after all these years, the old love affair is still alive and, I'm 77 years old.
Thanks for sharing this video and, making my day.
Stan
Thank You Juan for remembering those who flew the mission.
My brother-in-law was an Air Force transport pilot in the 1950s. The B-25 was his multi engine trainer. He remembers the noise and when it rained they got wet, because the windshield leaked.
My great uncle was a pilot of a B-25 in WWII. I believe that he was stationed in Papua New Guinea. From what they say, he was tough as nails. Thank-you for posting this tribute to those of "The Greatest Generation."
🇺🇸 Thanks for your comment Valerie !
You are absolutely right !
They grew up fast, we're just boys when they left, and for those who came home, came home men,
war hardened men, you better believe, tough as nails !
They had to be ! 🇺🇸
I was very fortunate to fly in a formation of 12 B25s at the 60th Anniversary in Columbia, SC.
I still consider it in the top 5 greatest experiences of my life so far!
The glide path was over my house the day before when they flew in formation at 1200ft overhead!
What a hair-raising sound they made. It was like time travel...
Juan, Thanks SO much for the up close and personal look at the B-25. Gave me a much better appreciation for the effort and sacrifice of the airmen who fly these amazing warbirds. And the Doolittle Raiders deserve an extra acknowledgement, an unbelievable act of bravery.
7000 feet of runway here: Raiders had 440' going off the deck of the Hornet 80 years ago. Of course, they had 25 knots of carrier speed heading into a 45 knot headwind so that helped a lot. The last of the 18 planes (going from memory here)forgot to set flaps properly and just barely made it. The folks on the Island ("control tower" of the ship) saw it drop off the bow and thought it had been lost. But the guy kept peddling and got it up and to the target. Amazingly every aircraft dropped on its target though only one aircraft survived the raid.. it landed in Vladivostok where, the crew was interred for nearly two years before escaping. Heros all. The last of the raid survivors died within the last five years or so. I read "Thirty Seconds over Tokyo" in the early 60's, have been fascinated by it every since.
Thanks for reminding me that it was a carrier launched raid. It had to have been something to launch that big of aircraft off a carrier.
@@Rwalt61 IIRC it was the motivation for the Japanese attack on the Aleutians. The Japanese could not believe the Doolittle raid launched from carriers.
@@ediartiva Not carrier”s”. They all launched from Hornet.
The last survivor died April 9, 2019, 103 year old Col. Richard E. Cole. His Goblet ceremony was held just today at Hurlburt AFB here in Florida. A B25 and many other planes flew over in his honor.
@@w0qnx598 Wow, I believe he was Doolittle's co-pilot
A beautiful memorial Juan, even tearing inducing to a Brit. For it was 18th April 1942, that the United Kingdom for the first time in 3 years got a sense that we might be saved, let alone beat back the Wehrmacht, with the formation of the allied forces. God Bless America and all our cousins that served in WWII. We are tough, but we wouldn't have survived without you.
You Brits are a tough lot to stand up to what you did during the war!
@@av8rshane491 I love it when we are brought together over such things. If only there wasn't such a mess of water between us, I might take a crack at the U.S myself. Not sure about all the bullet dodging though. I think I'd need a bit of Juan Browne country, out in the sticks 😂
@@stevenmacdonald9619 , I live out in the sticks as well, got tired of the big City life. Would love to make it over to the UK and see the war bird museums someday.
If I could fly in one plane, it would be the Lanc. The sacrifice of the RAF and American bomber forces can never be underestimated.
@@ajg617 come to Hamilton Ontario and donate a nice fat check to the Canadian Warplane Heritage. They fly one of the two flying Lancaster's in the world, The Andrew Mynarski VC Lancaster..
They take up big donors a few times a year for a little jaunt over to Niagara Falls
I saw a B-17, a B-24, and a B-25 in St. Paul, MN in August 2007. That B-25 sure was loud. My high school choir director piloted a B-25 in the Pacific Theater during WWII. In his later days he opened up about some of his flying experiences such as numerous forced landings due to icing, bugs in the carburetors, etc. He brought his crew home safely every time. He died in 2006. Lt. Garland O. Lockrem- I salute you and your crew.
Thanks Juan. My father was a RAF photographer and flew in photo recon Mitchell's in the Far East (S.E.Asia) during WW2. No defensive armament, long range tanks in the bomb bay. Noisy, uncomfortable, dangerous, hours on end. They were a different breed back then!
Love the B-25. My grandfather flew a bit over 30 missions in them before he was able to rotate home to his wife and little son (my dad), and then he spent the remainder of the war as a B-25 instructor.
My Dad graduated from Aviation Cadet class 43-I, and got the B-25G (75mm cannon) as a copilot. He was stationed in St. Lucia, and said the experience of firing that was pretty impressive. He soon got picked for B-17 school and after graduating ferried a new B-17G to Bassingbourn. He went on to fly 17 combat missions as Aircraft Commander, and was the youngest man on his crew! He was an amazing man, because of all he went through, and by coincidence (or divine intervention?) I was assigned to the F-4G in 1988, and flew 16 missions over Iraq in Desert Storm.
We flew many times in gliders and small GA planes, but he passed in 1999.
I still have a goal to get airborne in one or both of the bombers he flew before I’m too old!
Thanks for the incredible reporting you do, Juan.
Awesome thanks for uploading this Juan! I had the pleasure of meeting Lt Col Dick Cole at Oshkosh a few years back- Simply the kindest most honorable man imaginable. A true American Icon and Hero. On this the 80th Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, I salute all the Doolittle Raiders for their heroic service to our country. Lest we never forget!
Thanks Juan for the wonderful tribute. My father was a wtfc aboard the USS Gwin, DD 433. It, along with 6 other boats, escorted Hornet‘s (Task Force 18) to within 600 miles of Japan. The Force left out of San Diego on 3April to arrive there on the 18April.
My Dad was a flight engineer and top turret gunner on this model B-25 in North Africa. Thanks for the tour
Awesome coverage! My Grandpa C.W Hoover was based in Attu part of the Aleutian Islands combat as a waist gunner/ radio opr. They were the first crews to operate the USAAF B-25b fleet type . Gramps was on the aircraft named "Fickle Finger of Fate" which coincidently was part of the 16 famed Doolittle raid B-25s however he only flew missions over Sitka ,Adak and Amchitka Alaska. After one of their very first missions when landing back at Attu they crashed as soon as the wheels touched the makeshift metal grate runways. The aircraft hit the seam in between the grates and because wet/muddy conditions the weight of the aircraft sunk the first part of runway causing the Fickle Finger to knock off its gear and bent those big beautiful props on the Wright R-2600- engines. Thankfully every crewman made it out unhurt but muddy and the aircraft was fixed on base and went on to make history with Doolittle . My Gramps went on to rank Staff sergeant and trained fresh meat for both B-25 and B-24s he passed away in 2005 and I wished I had asked him more about his service. He was the best Grandfather every! I am a better person to have known him and was lucky to grow up around the corner from my Grandparents'. Our Country owes his generation a great deal of gratitude and our freedoms came at a huge cost and I will never forget that or take for granted I miss him everyday but am very proud to be related to The Greatest Generation that walked our planet.
I've been in war birds many times. Flown some of them. Each time I do so, I am amazed at what those young men dealt with. I put myself in there shoes..(boots) and I can't imagine what those crews must have went through. It almost, and sometimes did, brings a tear to your eyes. God bless those men and their bravery.
Thanks, Juan.
Nice memorial to those 80 men who are all gone now. They are heroes we should always remember. RIP men and God rest your souls.
My dad piloted one of these in the South Pacific during the war. Thanks for letting us see what it was like for the crew. I could never imagine what it must have been like for him. Loved the video!
My Grandmother's brother flew in the Doolittle raid and survived, apparently ditching in China. What we do not know is how he died while on a later mission "disappearing into a cloud". My sister found his name on a random war monument back in the 90s while in the Philipines on a teen missions trip.
I love the B-25. Overshadowed, but beautiful. Thanks for the great video!
Just too cool Juan! Thank you for sharing this experience with us. The excitement on your face is palpable! Truly my fav plane. I had the good fortune of getting to crawl through the 'Heavenly Body' (also a J) into the bombardier's bay back in the 90's.....and it was just sitting on display! I believe Mike Pupich was the owner at that time. No one could wipe the grin off my face. What amazing planes these are especially considering the role of the crews back in the day as you had mentioned. Not much room for error! Once again, thank you so much for commemorating this amazing plane, the crews and the famous Doolittle mission.
Beautiful video! It's about 30% smaller inside than I imagined. The views from the various positions are indeed stunning (when you aren't terrified).
Slice of Living History won’t be around forever glad you got the chance.
One of my families’ friends was a B-25 pilot later one of the first pilots for PSA flying "Douglas White Tails" a Gordon Tinker. He had stories of hardship in those old machines.
Thank you Juan: It has been 50 years since I last flew in one. Good memories. Good times.
To say thank you for this, doesnt seem enuf, does not covey my feelings. . I was just past 6 when this happened and tho I didnt understand at the time, I remember the excitement when the news was released.
Today a retired Air Force friend and I drank a toast to them. 80 heroes every one. The Hornet was just over 825 feet in length so the first few planes only had some 400 ft of runway. Even full speed into a good headwind, it was a daunting task to get off the deck. Did I say heroes? They were indeed
And it I may Id like to call your attention to the fact that exactly ne year later on April 18th, 1943 we took down Yamamoto, a major Japanese tactician.
Awesome tribute! I have watched the full video of this flight. Really amazing all those positions in the B-25. Very loud. God Bless all those heroes!🇺🇸
Well done Juan! Makes you realize that it was a rugged chore and certainly dangerous flying those birds. Doolittle was already in his 40’s during the raid. They were hard men.
Those birds are awesome ❤️✈️ Happy to see the B-25 is still flying
I was just at the Air Force museum in Dayton and the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy museum outside of DC last week. My reaction to the Mercury capsules was reinforced - how small and relatively primitive they were. "Rinky dink" is the succinct term that comes to mind compared with later space systems. The crews in the B-25 in 1940 and 41 of course had no idea what later aircraft would be like just as the Mercury astronauts couldn't know what the later capsules and even the Space Shuttle would turn out to be. But the folks on the Doolittle Raid and so many other missions got in their aircraft and took off with all the rattles and cold, the lack of armor and cramped quarters and did what they needed to do, which seems amazing today.
This is also the anniversary of the Yammamoto shoot down by P-38 lightnings... Enjoy your channel Juan and I'm not a pilot but a lover of aircraft.
A B25 is one of the most beautiful twins around. Love those Mitchells!
I rode a B-17 years ago and I imagined how terrifying it must have been at altitude and under attack. There's nowhere to hide! On that flight, we overflew the Liberty ship John Brown cruising the Chesapeake Bay! I sailed on her too before my flight, so that was extra special. Great video! God Bless all who serve!
My Dad was a B29 bombardier, but he did most of his Norden bomb sight training in B-25s. Thanks for the look inside.
I’m lucky enough to live in the Fresno area where these would fly over for the reenactment. I can remember too, we had an air show with 15-20 of them. When they powered up and took off it brought tears to your eyes.
Thanks Juan. As the son of an RAF bomber command Lancaster pilot this touches a nerve. The thought of those aircraft going off the carrier......wow, no ejector seats if it went wrong.
So glad I got to know of Juan and his adventures in the air and on two wheels through the years. Very inspiring, knowledgeable, and all around great person... thanks for sharing it with us!
Thanks for sharing that with us. Loved the look on your face, like a kid in a candy store.
Thank you for sharing, Juan, though it wasn't loud enough. I love to hear those Wrights. My dad was a 25 radio mechanic stationed on Okinawa. I hope to go up in a 25 sometime soon. Thanks again!
I took a mess of pictures of that bird in Van Nuys CA back in the early 80's. She was for sale for $125k at the time if my memory serve me well, guns and all!
RIGHTEOUS RIDE!!! What a beauty - thanks for sharing such an incredible experience.
Was fortunate to have gone to the 75th anniversary, and see Dick Cole speak. There are no superlatives large enough to encapsulate the heroism these men possessed.
I was on board the Ranger when we launched one of our deck in honor of the 50th.... was an awesome site.
The Doolittle Raiders: What courage! Can you imagine what it took to do what they did? The flying was difficult enough; doing things with B-25s that had never been imagined let alone done. Low level bombing over Japan. Knowing your odds for survival was 50/50 at best... and still doing it. Brings me to tears thinking about it.
All the aircrews who flew the B-25's, B-17's and B-24's deserve our thanks and respect for what they accomplished. I was stunned when I stopped and toured the B-17 that is parked alongside Highway 99 one day. The skin of the airplane was barely thicker than the skin on an aluminum beer can. It took true courage to flew that airplane at 20,000 ft over Germany with AA coming up at you during WW2.
I think of the Dolittle raid every time i see one of those Ukraine soldiers fire an anti-tank missile from less than 500’ range. Like Dolittle they’re truly taking the fight to the enemy - up close and personal, no stand off. Brave? Nuts? Maybe both.
@@mikedx2706
You really get a sense of what it must have been like for the aircrews.
There is no place to hide or take cover. One place is as good as the next.
Brave men that would get in there and fly every mission asked of them.
Juan, thank you for remembering and sharing this amazing and beautiful Mitchell bomber!! I was lucky enough to ride in one at the Planes of Fame many years ago!
Very cool Juan thanks for sharing! I have flown in B17 Aluminum Overcast and B29 Doc both in many positions including the B29 tail gunner. Incredible experience for sure! A must do to appreciate.
This was really fun to watch! Juan had the look of a 12 year old boy in his eyes in a lot of those shots. Made me reflect on my ride in the B-17!
Thanks for sharing. 😎👍
God Bless you, Juan, for sharing this awesome experience. Thanks to all the brave men who flew these planes in anger.
Thank you Juan, I mean...what did these men were made of huh? Noise, fear, courage, more noise, hunger, sleepness, eagerness and honor all a the same time? Incredible. Our thoughts go to these men. "Never did so many owe to so few". Cheers and thank you.
Thank you, Juan for doing this and paying tribute to the brave men who flew these into combat. It completely fills me with joy to see this iconic bird still flying. Thanks again!
Juan, you looked like a kid in a candy store crawling around the plane-pure enjoyment. Thanks for sharing this flight and keeping your channel so informative.
At last a pilot doing the photography on a warbird and not a fancy videographer! All the aspects of what is of interest to a pilot were covered. The takeoff run was truly nail-biting and I can only think what could go through the minds WW2 pilots when taking off from the (short) deck of a ship, fully loaded! Almost no hope if the slightest went wrong on takeoff. That's an unbeatable feat!!! These courageous pilots need to be saluted and remembered. The fact is that they all knew that they would probably not make it back to the ship or any safe landing site. That's courage!!! We need to remember them!!!
Dad was a tail gunner on a model J in the Pacific. He said "you sorta had to squat on that little seat" which was "smaller than a stool but larger than a bicycle seat." He flew 12 missions all in the summer of 1945. They were 8-9 hour over ocean flights to attack Japanese merchantmen. Half the bomb bay was a fuel tank and they carried underwing drop tanks outboard of the engines to make the range. Intel (codebreakers) told them where and when the enemy ships would be. Only once was the intel wrong. They skip-bombed the merchantmen dropping one 500 lb. bomb in each of four passes over the target just above mast height. The pilot dropped the bombs not the bombardier/navigator.
They were dangerous low-level missions. In one they lost half their airplanes. In another they lost a third. In another one quarter. They were 8-12 plane raids. Enemy AA was fierce but the only hole they ever found in their B-25 was an arm length away from dad out on the horizontal stabilizer. It was from a 20 mm shell which had come up from underneath. None of the Oscars that shot at them hit the plane.
Their B-25 had been modified to carry radar navigation. On each mission a single B-24 navigation ship flew high above them so they wouldn't get lost in the foul weather of the North Pacific. They were based on Attu in the Aleutian Islands and flew down bomb targets at Paramushiro--the northernmost island in the Kurile chain just south of the Kamchatka peninsula. If the fight drifted over Soviet territory the Russian AA crews opened up on friend and foe alike. One of their damaged B-25s landed safely on Kamchatka. Plane and aircrew were interred by the Soviets.
For most of the flight he sat with the waist gunner/radio operator just aft of the bomb bay. He moved to the tail position only when they were in the combat zone--about a hundred miles out or whenever ordered by the pilot. Dad was credited with two kills of Nakajima Ki-43 Oscars. There may have been others which couldn't be confirmed. He was awarded a Bronze Star which he felt he didn't deserve for just two kills. "They gave out medals like candy," he said, lol.
The twin 50s in the tail position were hydraulically powered. He flipped a switch to turn on the pump. He aimed through an optical site which seems to be missing from Executive Sweet. He said oil leaked from both engine nacelles in a long thin continuous stream which sometimes alarmed them so much they'd get on the intercom with the flight engineer/top turret gunner. He'd tap his dials and say "nah it looks all right don't worry about it."
Dad said the missions were long, noisy and cold. Hours of boredom followed by a few moments of terror then hours of boredom flying home but happy to be alive. They were all in their early 20s.
Since the International Date Line is just west of Attu they always took off today, bombed tomorrow and returned today. Just a little joke they liked to say.
Thanks for showing me the view dad had from the backseat!
Thank you for that great description of your Dad's missions.
Jimmy Doolittle’s book is one of the most epic reads ever. Called I Could Never be so Lucky Again.
How stinking cool. I got a tear thinking of the planes that didn't make it. And then laughed watching that ear to ear grin on your face. Absolutely amazing 👏 😍 Thanks for sharing 💕
Dad was a radio operator for a brief time on a B-25....he spent most of his time in C-47....thanks for the view from the inside...
Fantastic, Juan - what a hell of a ride! I looked like you leaving the plane when I had the opportunity to have a ride in the backseat of a P-51D. I‘ll never forget that! Pure adrenaline! Carry on! Love your work!
I had the honor of flying with my wife’s grandfather in a B-17. I wish everyone could have the (peace time) experience of flight in a WWII era airplane. They were heros. Sadly we just lost him. His funeral was to the day 77 years after his bailout over Germany. I also posted up my flight with him. I’ll never forget it, or him.
Thanks for sharing that with us. The mission is still incredible even at 80 years.
Thanks Juan, that was awesome! most amazing to me is the extreme input the pilot gives the flight controls and how much delay there is in the in response. flying the B-25 must be like trying to turn an ocean liner.
hello I have the honor too speak with General Doolittle one afternoon in Perry Houston, Warner Robins Georgia, the sad thing was I didn’t know It was Mr Doolittle . After he departed a line operator informed who he was. He was a very elegant man. thanks for the memories. saludos
The My Dad was USN in the 1950 into the 1960’s. The Navy version of the B25, the PBJ-1H flew for many years after the war as a mail plane, light cargo carrier, and VIP transport. In the Navy version an extra fuel tank could be fitted in the bomb bay for extra range.
Had the same excitement when I fulfilled my dream of flying in a B-17 (909). Only a few months later and 909 was lost forever. I'll never forget that experience, nor will I forsake the memories of the men who flew in those machines.
Juan Brown is often so serious and dealing with serious issues. It was awesome to see the joy in your face on this ride!
I had been around a few war birds when I was young. One day I was home from work early in anticipation of an event at Northrop Field. Suddenly, there was that sound. You know it from a distance when you hear it. That sound of radials that meant business. Except this time, the sound grew louder and louder and louder than ever before. I almost choked up at the sight of an endless string of B25s at low altitude buzzing the house on the way into the pattern at the airfield. There are streets named for Doolittle and his airmen in the neighborhood as those planes were built here. It dawned on me that this was the sound of their war. It is one thing to have one or maybe two of these flying near you, but when it becomes an endless stream of one after another and another and another, the hair on your arms stands up. The whole place shook with the sound and to this day I can close my eyes and feel the energy of that moment. There were only 16 planes that went out on that raid, with 80 men. May their memory be eternal.
Thanks for sharing that, Dino! Somehow, the B-25 sounds like no other radial engine-powered airplane. During a low fly-by it just has this angry, growling quality to it. Very beastly!
I can't even imagine what that sounds like, Dino! The Mitchell has flown over my house several times over the years when the Wings of Freedom tour hits KORH in Worcester. There was one time when I got to experience watching the B-17 fly past flanked by a P-51 and the B-25 Mitchell in a triangle formation. Just the sound from that was AMAZING! I got a little choked up watching them fly by!
My dad said on days their B-17 squadron stood down, the air would be humming and vibrating with the sound of hundreds of B-17s and B-24s from their base and others nearby. He said he could feel it in his bones.
I can't thank you enough for producing these videos. I always learn something in your more serious videos, and fun ones like these always put a smile on my face.
Juan. You get to have all the fun. Great tribute to Lt Colo. Doolittle and the 79 other brave airmen that took off from a 440' heaving "runway", taking the fight to the Japanese mainland. And the look on the red air forces officers faces when that lone B-25 radioed in for landing clearance at Vladivostok after the raid. Priceless. Thanks for taking us along for the ride.
Missed this on its original broadcast. Great to see GOO-TRK-GOO, a beautiful trip I've done in my 28-236, but truly incredible looking out from those gunner's positions in the B-25. Thanks for sharing it again!
Awesome, Thank you for videoing this! God Bless all the airmen that served and God rest their souls!
I was so enamored with my nose-position memories...I almost forgot how cool that tail-gunner view was until you refreshed my memories. Thanks Juan!
Amazing, thanks for providing this unique perspective on the B25.
Thank you Capt.Browne, there's a B-25, B-24, and P-51 that comes to Hyannis Mass. airport every couple of years. good stuff. Now if only the Blue Angels back. No fun in Mass.
Excellent!!! Prep now for a P-38 special on the 80th anniversary of Operation Vengeance, same day, next year.
Thanks for this Juan,amazing aircraft and good to remember the past.
Great video, Juan! Totally awesome! Thanks for remembering these hero’s.
The last Doolittle Raider to pass on, Lt. Col. Richard 'Dick' Cole, was one of the oldest crewmembers at the time at the age of 26 and was Doolittle's Copilot. Doolittle chose him specifically. I had the honor of meeting and visiting him at his home in Comfort, Texas many years ago. He was a very humble and sincere gentleman. He was 103 when he passed 3 years ago. What they accomplished was incredible. While it wasn't an overwhelming impact from a damage standpoint, it very clearly demonstrated the ability of the U.S. to strike Japan, something the Japanese did not think was possible at the time.
Juan, seeing the opening photos says enough. Just pure unadulterated joy.
I'm 46 this year and I still look skywards at whatever the sound is going overhead. Never lost the passion for aviation. You nailed it in one photo.
What a beautiful old war wagon…
Just incredible to watch her on mission again..❤️❤️❤️❤️
Juan, I was fortunate to hitch a ride on EAA’s B25 Berlin Express from St. Paul, MN back to Oshkosh, WI in July 2019 too. It’s a flight I will remember for the rest of my life. I had many of the same thoughts about past crew members as you did. The views from the tail and nose were amazing.
Thanks again for your service!
My uncle, the Marine flew the PBJ. He would correct me any time I said "B-25" when I pick up his model. Dad flew 24s in Europe.
What courage the Doolittle crew displayed.
Met the surviving "RAIDERS" in Columbia, SC. during the anniversary celebration there several years ago. I was highly moved in their presence!!🇺🇸🇺🇸
watch the film " thirty seconds over tokyo" for a thrilling adventure.
@@jerryeinstandig7996Thanks, seen it!
A few years back, I was skydiving with friends in Deland, Florida. Suddenly we heard a loud aircraft coming in to land. A B-25 landed and the purpose was lunch at the dropzone! 😁👍
What a blast that must have been. Thanks 🙏 for sharing again. RIP all who served and fell.
Celebrated actor Charlton Heston served as a radioman/gunner on B-25s in the Aleutians when he enlisted for two years in the Army Air Force in 1944. He walked the talk!
Absolutely awesome....Jimmy Doolittle and the bomber crews he led on that raid went where Angel's fear to tread, with no real expectactation of anything but a suicide mission. I read somewhere that Doolittle expected to be court-martialed for the loss of the aircraft that participated in the raid, instead, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. 3 airmen died when thier bomber crashed, 8 others were captured by Japanese forces, 4 of them lived to be freed, one died of disease, and the Japanese executed 3 others. The only bomber to survive intact landed in Vladiovostok, U.S.S.R., and because the Soviet Union and Japan were not actually at war with each other at that time, the bomber and aircrew were interned in the U.S.S.R., purportedly for the duration of the war, but although they confiscated the B-25, the aircrew was allowed to "escape" the Soviet Union within a year and were repatriated. The greatest generation, without question.
Thank you for these amazing videos! Appreciate all you do sir Juan B.
Thanks for sharing, what a thrill that must have been. Tons of respect to those guys that flew and fought in these things!
There was a gathering of B25s at a local airfield. Wonderful planes and a great sound.
Juan, your description of the plane as a “rattle trap” brought to mind one of my father’s recollection of flying in B-17’s over Germany. He said the young airmen felt invincible until about the third or fourth mission, when reality set in…that they were not going to survive. Surprised at the comment I asked him why. He said it was simple math…subtraction! And when we DID head home, he said, the plane shook and literally whistled due to the holes shot through it!!
Thanks for recognizing the many airmen that served and risked their lives so that we might be free. The B-25 is one of my top five warbirds.
Juan, you're the GOAT.
That takeoff looked hairy as hell.
My dad served in the Air Force as a camera operator on the TB-25 during the Korean War as part of the 452nd Tactical Reconnaissance Group. Your video reminded me of his life and experiences. Thank you.
Great video. Thanks for posting. And thanks for memorializing the raid.
My Base Commander at Incirlik AB Turkey in1962, Travis Hoover, was the second one to lift off the carrier.